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Single Idea 10825

[filed under theme 3. Truth / A. Truth Problems / 4. Uses of Truth ]

Full Idea

I suspect that the original purpose of the notion of truth was to aid us in utilizing the utterances of others in drawing conclusions about the world,...so we must attend to its social role, and that being in a position to assert something is what counts.

Gist of Idea

The notion of truth is to help us make use of the utterances of others

Source

Hartry Field (Tarski's Theory of Truth [1972], §5)

Book Ref

'The Nature of Truth', ed/tr. Lynch, Michael P. [MIT 2001], p.388


A Reaction

[Last bit compressed] This sounds excellent. Deflationary and redundancy views are based on a highly individualistic view of utterances and truth, but we need to be much more contextual and pragmatic if we are to get the right story.


The 8 ideas with the same theme [how 'truth' is used in thought and enquiry]:

Like animals, we seek truth because we want safety [Nietzsche]
'Truth' is the will to be master over the multiplicity of sensations [Nietzsche]
Truth is what unites, and the profound truths create a community [Jaspers]
'Truth' is the procedures for controlling which statements are acceptable [Foucault]
Truth is a method of deducing facts from propositions [McGinn]
The notion of truth is to help us make use of the utterances of others [Field,H]
Truth relates truthbearers to truthmakers [Heil]
'True of' is applicable to things, while 'true' is applicable to words [Politis]